Howard A. Stone

Associated Faculty, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Contact
hastone@princeton.edu 609-258-9493
Engineering Quadrangle, D326
Research Area
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Structural BiologyResearch Focus
Fluid dynamics of "complex fluids"My group does research in fluid dynamics of "complex fluids", which refers to fluid systems that contain suspended objects (e.g. cells, droplets) that modify the flow. We interact broadly with other researchers in engineering, physics, chemistry and biology. In recent years my group has worked on several problems involving (I) flow and bacteria and (II) flow and biofilms, as well as various problems involving (III) flow of red bloods cells and (IV) some problems involving chemical signaling of mammalian cells. As part of these studies we have developed expertise with these systems and have forged excellent collaborations with leading labs in molecular biology. For example, in our research we have documented the formation of biofilm streamers in laminar flows, identified shear-enhanced adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) to surfaces, and the upstream migration of PA when the bacteria is attached to surfaces and exposed to flow. We have also worked on a variety of problems involving mammalian cells, including their response to chemical signals and how the response is influenced by the mechanical properties of the surrounding materials and/or substrate. In all of these studies we have used the toolboxes of microfluidics and microscopy to develop experimental tools appropriate to the questions under study.
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Introduction: Microfluidics. Chem Rev. 2022 ;122(7):6919-6920. .
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From dynamic self-organization to avalanching instabilities in soft-granular threads. Soft Matter. 2022 ;18(9):1801-1818. .
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Shear-induced migration of confined flexible fibers. Soft Matter. 2022 ;18(3):514-525. .
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The effect of rigid cells on blood viscosity: linking rheology and sickle cell anemia. Soft Matter. 2022 ;18(3):554-565. .
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Evaporation of Binary-Mixture Liquid Droplets: The Formation of Picoliter Pancakelike Shapes. Phys Rev Lett. 2021 ;127(2):024501. .
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Metal-catalyst-free gas-phase synthesis of long-chain hydrocarbons. Nat Commun. 2021 ;12(1):5937. .
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Microswimmers near corrugated, periodic surfaces. Soft Matter. 2021 ;17(12):3322-3332. .
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CO-Driven diffusiophoresis for maintaining a bacteria-free surface. Soft Matter. 2021 ;17(9):2568-2576. .
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Confinement size determines the architecture of Ran-induced microtubule networks. Soft Matter. 2021 ;17(24):5921-5931. .
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Hydraulic transmissivity inferred from ice-sheet relaxation following Greenland supraglacial lake drainages. Nat Commun. 2021 ;12(1):3955. .
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Plasmodesmata and the problems with size: Interpreting the confusion. J Plant Physiol. 2021 ;257:153341. .
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Electrostatic wrapping of a microfiber around a curved particle. Soft Matter. 2021 ;17(13):3609-3618. .
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A hydrodynamic instability drives protein droplet formation on microtubules to nucleate branches. Nat Phys. 2021 ;17(4):493-498. .
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A geometric criterion for the optimal spreading of active polymers in porous media. Nat Commun. 2021 ;12(1):7088. .
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Evidence for biosurfactant-induced flow in corners and bacterial spreading in unsaturated porous media. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 ;118(38). .
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Membrane science emerging as a convergent scientific field with molecular origins and understanding, and global impact. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 ;118(37). .
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Low-Reynolds-number, biflagellated Quincke swimmers with multiple forms of motion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 ;118(29). .
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Hierarchical transitions and fractal wrinkling drive bacterial pellicle morphogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 ;118(20). .
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Chemically Triggered Coalescence and Reactivity of Droplet Fibers. J Am Chem Soc. 2021 ;143(14):5558-5564. .
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4D imaging reveals mechanisms of clay-carbon protection and release. Nat Commun. 2021 ;12(1):622. .
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Ionic Layering and Overcharging in Electrical Double Layers in a Poisson-Boltzmann Model. Phys Rev Lett. 2020 ;125(18):188004. .
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Phase synchronization of fluid-fluid interfaces as hydrodynamically coupled oscillators. Nat Commun. 2020 ;11(1):5221. .
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Symmetrization of Thin Freestanding Liquid Films via a Capillary-Driven Flow. Phys Rev Lett. 2020 ;124(18):184502. .
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Influence of Salt on the Viscosity of Polyelectrolyte Solutions. Phys Rev Lett. 2020 ;124(17):177801. .
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Diffusiophoresis in Multivalent Electrolytes. Langmuir. 2020 ;36(25):7014-7020. .
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Stability of force-driven shear flows in nonequilibrium molecular simulations with periodic boundaries. J Chem Phys. 2020 ;152(21):214113. .
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Formation, Rupture, and Healing of an Annular Viscous Film. Phys Rev Lett. 2020 ;124(22):224501. .
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Ions in an AC Electric Field: Strong Long-Range Repulsion between Oppositely Charged Surfaces. Phys Rev Lett. 2020 ;125(5):056001. .
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Flexible fibers in shear flow approach attracting periodic solutions. Phys Rev E. 2020 ;101(2-1):023104. .
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Regime Map and Triple Point in Selective Withdrawal. Phys Rev Lett. 2020 ;125(26):264502. .
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Charging Dynamics of Overlapping Double Layers in a Cylindrical Nanopore. Phys Rev Lett. 2020 ;125(7):076001. .
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Diffusiophoresis: from dilute to concentrated electrolytes. Soft Matter. 2020 ;16(30):6975-6984. .
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Self-Similar Draining near a Vertical Edge. Phys Rev Lett. 2020 ;125(6):064502. .
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Self-Propelled Supracolloidal Fibers from Multifunctional Polymer Surfactants and Droplets. Macromol Rapid Commun. 2020 ;41(15):e2000334. .
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Rotation of a submerged finite cylinder moving down a soft incline. Soft Matter. 2020 ;16(16):4000-4007. .
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CO-leakage-driven diffusiophoresis causes spontaneous accumulation of charged materials in channel flow. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 ;117(42):25985-25990. .
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Speech can produce jet-like transport relevant to asymptomatic spreading of virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 ;117(41):25237-25245. .
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A new wrinkle on liquid sheets: Turning the mechanism of viscous bubble collapse upside down. Science. 2020 ;369(6504):685-688. .
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Silver-Based Self-Powered pH-Sensitive Pump and Sensor. Langmuir. 2020 ;36(27):7948-7955. .
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Cell position fates and collective fountain flow in bacterial biofilms revealed by light-sheet microscopy. Science. 2020 ;369(6499):71-77. .
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Nonuniform growth and surface friction determine bacterial biofilm morphology on soft substrates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 ;117(14):7622-7632. .
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A quantitative study of the effect of flow on the photopolymerization of fibers. Soft Matter. 2019 ;15(46):9553-9564. .
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Rapid Spreading of a Droplet on a Thin Soap Film. Langmuir. 2019 ;35(46):14855-14860. .
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Particle entrainment in dead-end pores by diffusiophoresis. Soft Matter. 2019 ;15(19):3879-3885. .
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Representative subsampling of sedimenting blood. Proc Math Phys Eng Sci. 2019 ;475(2227):20190223. .
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Design of a microfluidic device for the measurement of the elastic modulus of deformable particles. Soft Matter. 2019 ;15(5):880-889. .
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Characterization of surface-solute interactions by diffusioosmosis. Soft Matter. 2019 ;15(7):1582-1596. .
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Diffusion of multiple electrolytes cannot be treated independently: model predictions with experimental validation. Soft Matter. 2019 ;15(48):9965-9973. .
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Quantifying Dynamics in Phase-Separated Condensates Using Fluorescence Recovery after Photobleaching. Biophys J. 2019 ;117(7):1285-1300. .
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Microfluidic-based transcriptomics reveal force-independent bacterial rheosensing. Nat Microbiol. 2019 ;4(8):1274-1281. .
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Restoring universality to the pinch-off of a bubble. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 ;116(28):13780-13784. .
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Spatiotemporal organization of branched microtubule networks. Elife. 2019 ;8. .
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Identification of a Molecular Latch that Regulates Staphylococcal Virulence. Cell Chem Biol. 2019 ;26(4):548-558.e4. .
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Verticalization of bacterial biofilms. Nat Phys. 2018 ;14(9):954-960. .
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Bacterial Biofilm Material Properties Enable Removal and Transfer by Capillary Peeling. Adv Mater. 2018 ;30(46):e1804153. .
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Viscoplastic Matrix Materials for Embedded 3D Printing. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2018 ;10(27):23353-23361. .
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Impulsively Induced Jets from Viscoelastic Films for High-Resolution Printing. Phys Rev Lett. 2018 ;120(7):074501. .
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Invisible Anchors Trap Particles in Branching Junctions. Phys Rev Lett. 2018 ;121(5):054502. .
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Cell Membranes Resist Flow. Cell. 2018 ;175(7):1769-1779.e13. .
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Foam-driven fracture. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 ;115(32):8082-8086. .
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Dynamic regimes of electrified liquid filaments. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 ;115(24):6159-6164. .
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Dynamic switching enables efficient bacterial colonization in flow. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 ;115(21):5438-5443. .
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Flow-induced phase separation of active particles is controlled by boundary conditions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 ;115(21):5403-5408. .
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Suppressing viscous fingering in structured porous media. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 ;115(19):4833-4838. .
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Water-Based Peeling of Thin Hydrophobic Films. Phys Rev Lett. 2017 ;119(15):154502. .
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Extended lubrication theory: improved estimates of flow in channels with variable geometry. Proc Math Phys Eng Sci. 2017 ;473(2206):20170234. .
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Surface-attached molecules control Staphylococcus aureus quorum sensing and biofilm development. Nat Microbiol. 2017 ;2:17080. .
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Wind-Driven Formation of Ice Bridges in Straits. Phys Rev Lett. 2017 ;118(12):128701. .
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Failure mechanisms of air entrainment in drop impact on lubricated surfaces. Soft Matter. 2017 ;13(12):2402-2409. .
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Sinking a Granular Raft. Phys Rev Lett. 2017 ;118(10):108001. .
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Protocol to perform pressurized blister tests on thin elastic films. Eur Phys J E Soft Matter. 2017 ;40(6):64. .
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Effect of Hydrodynamic Interactions on Reaction Rates in Membranes. Biophys J. 2017 ;113(2):440-447. .
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Coffee-stain growth dynamics on dry and wet surfaces. J Phys Condens Matter. 2017 ;29(7):074001. .
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Diffusiophoresis in one-dimensional solute gradients. Soft Matter. 2017 ;13(47):9015-9023. .
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Motion of a Free-Settling Spherical Particle Driven by a Laser-Induced Bubble. Phys Rev Lett. 2017 ;119(8):084501. .
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Diffusiophoretic manipulation of particles in a drop deposited on a hydrogel. Soft Matter. 2017 ;13(30):5122-5129. .
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Low-Cost Zeta Potentiometry Using Solute Gradients. Adv Mater. 2017 ;29(30). .
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Armoring confined bubbles in the flow of colloidal suspensions. Soft Matter. 2017 ;13(15):2857-2865. .
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Laboratory layered latte. Nat Commun. 2017 ;8(1):1960. .
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Microfluidic chest cavities reveal that transmural pressure controls the rate of lung development. Development. 2017 ;144(23):4328-4335. .
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Flow-induced gelation of microfiber suspensions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 ;114(41):E8557-E8564. .
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Extracellular-matrix-mediated osmotic pressure drives Vibrio cholerae biofilm expansion and cheater exclusion. Nat Commun. 2017 ;8(1):327. .
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Spatial gene drives and pushed genetic waves. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 ;114(32):8452-8457. .
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Force generation by groups of migrating bacteria. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 ;114(28):7266-7271. .
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Calcium oscillations in wounded fibroblast monolayers are spatially regulated through substrate mechanics. Phys Biol. 2017 ;14(4):045006. .
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Membraneless water filtration using CO. Nat Commun. 2017 ;8:15181. .
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Farming and public goods production in populations. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 ;114(9):2289-2294. .
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Correction: The magnitude of lift forces acting on drops and bubbles in liquids flowing inside microchannels. Lab Chip. 2017 ;17(5):961. .
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Bubble-Driven Detachment of Bacteria from Confined Microgeometries. Environ Sci Technol. 2017 ;51(3):1340-1347. .
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Capillary Leveling of Freestanding Liquid Nanofilms. Phys Rev Lett. 2016 ;117(16):167801. .
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Biophysical characterization of organelle-based RNA/protein liquid phases using microfluidics. Soft Matter. 2016 ;12(45):9142-9150. .
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Controlled Uniform Coating from the Interplay of Marangoni Flows and Surface-Adsorbed Macromolecules. Phys Rev Lett. 2016 ;116(12):124501. .
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Role of the Membrane for Mechanosensing by Tethered Channels. Phys Rev Lett. 2016 ;116(25):258101. .
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Effect of the Polydispersity of a Colloidal Drop on Drying Induced Stress as Measured by the Buckling of a Floating Sheet. Phys Rev Lett. 2016 ;116(23):238001. .
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A Scalable Platform for Functional Nanomaterials via Bubble-Bursting. Adv Mater. 2016 ;28(21):4047-52. .
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Size-dependent control of colloid transport via solute gradients in dead-end channels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 ;113(2):257-61. .
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Local and global consequences of flow on bacterial quorum sensing. Nat Microbiol. 2016 ;1:15005. .
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Elastic Relaxation of Fluid-Driven Cracks and the Resulting Backflow. Phys Rev Lett. 2016 ;117(26):268001. .
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Drop morphologies on flexible fibers: influence of elastocapillary effects. Soft Matter. 2016 ;13(1):134-140. .
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Shape Transformations of Lipid Bilayers Following Rapid Cholesterol Uptake. Biophys J. 2016 ;111(12):2651-2657. .
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The dynamics of interacting folds under biaxial compressive stresses. Soft Matter. 2016 ;12(15):3502-6. .
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Architectural transitions in Vibrio cholerae biofilms at single-cell resolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 ;113(14):E2066-72. .
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Surfactant- and Aqueous-Foam-Driven Oil Extraction from Micropatterned Surfaces. Langmuir. 2016 ;32(49):13149-13158. .
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Liquid Imbibition in Ceramic-Coated Carbon Nanotube Films. Langmuir. 2016 ;32(48):12686-12692. .
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Fluid-driven cracks in an elastic matrix in the toughness-dominated limit. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci. 2016 ;374(2078). .
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Vibrio cholerae biofilm growth program and architecture revealed by single-cell live imaging. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 ;113(36):E5337-43. .
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Tuning the Receding Contact Angle on Hydrogels by Addition of Particles. Langmuir. 2016 ;32(22):5573-9. .
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Negative Pressures and Spallation in Water Drops Subjected to Nanosecond Shock Waves. J Phys Chem Lett. 2016 ;7(11):2055-62. .
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Controlling Viscous Fingering Using Time-Dependent Strategies. Phys Rev Lett. 2015 ;115(17):174501. .
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Deposition of Quantum Dots in a Capillary Tube. Langmuir. 2015 ;31(45):12560-6. .
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Optimization of Pathogen Capture in Flowing Fluids with Magnetic Nanoparticles. Small. 2015 ;11(42):5657-66. .
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Reactive Magnetospinning of Nano- and Microfibers. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2015 ;54(46):13613-6. .
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Touch- and Brush-Spinning of Nanofibers. Adv Mater. 2015 ;27(41):6526-32. .
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The mechanical world of bacteria. Cell. 2015 ;161(5):988-997. .
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Colonization, competition, and dispersal of pathogens in fluid flow networks. Curr Biol. 2015 ;25(9):1201-7. .
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Type IV pili mechanochemically regulate virulence factors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 ;112(24):7563-8. .
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Flow-Driven Rapid Vesicle Fusion via Vortex Trapping. Langmuir. 2015 ;31(26):7178-82. .
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Mechanics regulates ATP-stimulated collective calcium response in fibroblast cells. J R Soc Interface. 2015 ;12(108):20150140. .
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Two-ply channels for faster wicking in paper-based microfluidic devices. Lab Chip. 2015 ;15(23):4461-6. .
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Filaments in curved streamlines: Rapid formation of biofilm streamers. New J Phys. 2014 ;16(6):065024. .
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Solutions to the public goods dilemma in bacterial biofilms. Curr Biol. 2014 ;24(1):50-55. .
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Biofilm streamers cause catastrophic disruption of flow with consequences for environmental and medical systems. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 ;110(11):4345-50. .